Which hurricane spawned the most tornadoes on record?

Hurricane Ivan spawned the most tornadoes on record from a single hurricane. After making landfall near Gulf Shores, Alabama, on September 16, 2004, Ivan’s circulation interacted with unstable, wind-sheared air across the eastern United States. The resulting outbreak spread far beyond the immediate landfall area, producing tornadoes from Florida and Georgia northward into Pennsylvania and other Mid-Atlantic states.

Ivan’s tornado total is commonly listed as 120, although counts vary slightly among NOAA datasets because reports may be revised, merged, or counted by different criteria. NOAA’s historical summaries have cited totals ranging from 117 to 127. Those differences do not change the canonical answer: Ivan remains the storm associated with the record outbreak.

The previous widely recognized record belonged to Hurricane Beulah, which produced about 115 tornadoes in 1967. Hurricane Frances, also in 2004, ranked close behind Ivan. Hurricanes can generate tornadoes mainly in their outer rainbands, especially where strong changes in wind speed and direction with height create rotating thunderstorms. These tornadoes are often weaker than classic Great Plains tornadoes, but they can still be deadly and destructive.